Buying a steriliser

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Why buy a steriliser?

Whether you are formula-feeding or expressing breastmilk, it is vital to keep equipment and your baby’s bottles clean and safe. Sterilising helps to protect your baby against germs and infection. A steriliser is a unit that allows you to do that job quickly and easily.

If you decide to start feeding solids before your baby is six months old, you will also need to sterilise your baby's spoons and bowls. However, it is best to wait until your baby is six months old before introducing first foods.

What do I need to know about sterilisers?

There are three main types of steriliser on the market:

cold water

microwave

electric

Each option has its advantages and disadvantages:

Cold water sterilisers

To cold water sterilise your baby's equipment, you need sterilising tablets or liquid, along with a sturdy plastic container and a lid. Items are soaked in the solution for at least 30 minutes and will remain sterile if kept submerged in the solution for up to 24 hours.

The solution can be reused as often as you wish within a 24-hour period. Items must be rinsed in recently boiled water before use. However, even after rinsing, the sterilising solution may give off a peculiar taste or smell. This may be off-putting for your baby.

Microwave sterilisers

Microwave sterilisers require no chemicals or rinsing. Instead, they kill bacteria using the heat from steam. Depending on the model you have, microwave sterilisers can keep items sterile for up to 24 hours if the lid remains closed. Some microwave sterilisers are also designed to double up as cold water sterilisers.

Sterilising takes three minutes to eight minutes, depending on your microwave’s wattage and the unit. Remember that metal items cannot be sterilised in a microwave.

Electric steam sterilisers

Electric steam sterilisers require no chemicals or rinsing, and simply plug in at the wall. They kill bacteria using the heat from steam. Sterilising takes six minutes to 15 minutes. Depending on the model you have, items can remain sterile for up to 24 hours with the lid closed.

These sterilisers are often the most convenient way of sterilising, particularly if you have a lot of items to sterilise, and you don’t have a microwave.

What size steriliser should I buy?

Sterilisers have varying capacity, ranging from two bottles to eight bottles. Bear in mind that wide-necked bottles require more space than standard bottles. If you intend to fully formula-feed your baby, you will need to use a steriliser frequently.

Babies who are fully formula-fed require at least six bottles a day, so you will need a steriliser that holds at least this many bottles. If you're planning to breastfeed, you may not need a steriliser initially. However, if you want to express your milk, you will need a steriliser for breast pumps and bottles. Sterilisers are also handy for sterilising dummies.

Some sterilisers come with extra features that you may like to look out for, such as:

an alarm to let you know when sterilisation is complete

automatic sterilisation of contents every few hours, or after you remove or add a bottle

extra bottles and sippy cups

a signal to let you know when the steriliser is hot

a water filter to control limescale

an accessory tray

tongs and bottle brushes

How do I know which method of sterilising is best for me?

Each sterilising method has its pros and cons. Here are some tips from other BabyCentre parents to help you decide what’s best for you:

Electric sterilisers

"My electric steriliser can sterilise six bottles in six minutes. It then keeps the bottles sterile for six hours if the lid is kept on. There is also a cycle that keeps the contents sterile for 24 hours. This will be handy when we start to drop night feeds." Julie

"I have always used a plug-in steam steriliser. My microwave is quite small and I’m not sure if a microwave steriliser would fit in it."Bella

"I’ve gone for an electric steriliser, but only because some bottles, breast pumps and so on can’t be used in a microwave steriliser because they crack." Anna

"It’s best to buy a steriliser that matches the other products you have, such as the breast pump and bottles you use. They are designed to be used together, which makes life easier."Liz

"I mainly use an electric steriliser, but I also have a microwave one. The microwave one is great for travelling and for just sterilising a couple of bits very quickly. It also doesn't need descaling!" Sophie

Cold water sterilisation

"I use cold water sterilisation. You add a steriliser tablet to the water and leave your bottles, cups, dummies and teethers in it until needed. You only need to change the water once a day. It takes 15 minutes to sterilise once you’ve changed the water, but then everything is sterile for 24 hours. You can just take out what you need, without waiting for things to cool down as you would for a microwave or steam steriliser."Sue

"I use steriliser liquid. It is easier than tablets when you want to use it with different volumes of water. I found myself having to chop tablets in halves or thirds, depending on the volume of water I was using. Some sterilising liquids need to be rinsed off with cooled, boiled water, so we chose one that didn’t need rinsing off." Danielle

"With my first baby we used cold water sterilisation, but she didn’t like the taste it left behind, and it also discoloured the teats. This time we’ve got a steam steriliser. It's much quicker than waiting for the cold water one to do its job!"Shelly

"We had a cold water steriliser with our first baby. It is simple but takes about 30 minutes. I bought a microwave steriliser for this time round as it only takes four minutes. I was so tired and disorganised with my first baby that many times when I got up to do the 2am feed, I found we had no bottles sterilised. Cue a very noisy and stressful 30-plus minutes!"Heather

"I’m expecting my second baby and I plan to breastfeed again. I will still get an electric pump, a couple of bottles and steam steriliser, though." Sam

"I have a microwave steriliser. It’s great as you can also use it as a cold water steriliser if you travel away somewhere and don’t have the use of a microwave. They are quick and easy to use and can be stored neatly in the microwave to save worktop space!"Catriona

"I use self-sterilising bottles. You just put the bottle in the microwave for three minutes and you’re ready to go. No need for any other sterilising equipment."Rachel

Last reviewed: April 2014

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Comments

Nice Article. Good Insights. This has made my knowledge of sterilisation to a new level and now i can guide my near ones on what to do and how to do it for baby product sterilization.
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